Aqueous and methanol extracts of lemon (Citrus lemon) peel, Euphorbia hirta (aerial parts) and fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seeds were tested for their in vitro antimicrobial activities against the bacterium Aeromonas hydrophila. A swab paper disk method showed the methanol extract of E. hirta (EHE) had the largest inhibition zone and the lowest minimal inhibitory concentration compared to all other herbal extracts. Based on these results, EHE was included in the diets of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) at 0 (control), 2, 5 or 7 g/kg diet (experiment 1)...

Background: Essential oils (EOs) are complex mixtures of several components gifted with a wide array of biological activities. The present research was designed to evaluate whether commercial essential oils could be effective by examining their in vitro antioxidant, cytotoxic, and apoptotic properties of nine commercially available EOs in Palestine, namely, African rue, basil, chamomile, fennel, fenugreek, ginger, spearmint, sage, and thyme, and to assure their effective use. Methods: The cytotoxic activity was determined using HT29-19(A) non-muco secreting and HT29-muco secreting (MS) cell lines...

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes conditions such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is becoming more prevalent with the elderly being the fastest growing group. Parallel to this, there is an increasing interest in the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Nearly half of patients with IBD have used CAM at one time. The elderly patients, however, are burdened by comorbid conditions, polypharmacy, and altered functional status. With increasing use of complementary and alternative medicine in our elderly patients with IBD, it is vital for the provider to provide counsel on drug-herb potential interactions...

The prevalence of natural health product (NHP) use in Canada is extensive. Patients with chronic diseases, including diabetes, use NHPs at a higher rate than the general population. Many NHPs exert hypoglycemic effects, among other effects relevant to diabetes management. To provide a practical, clinical review of NHPs with such effects targeted to pharmacists, a literature search was performed to collect data on the efficacy and safety profiles of 10 commonly used NHPs that exert antidiabetic properties. The following NHPs are included in this clinical review: alpha-lipoic acid, chromium, magnesium, bitter melon, cinnamon, fenugreek, gymnema, milk thistle, Reishi mushroom and white mulberry...

BACKGROUND: The objective of this systematic review was to assess available scientific data on the efficacy and safety of medicinal food plants for the treatment of impaired glucose tolerance. METHODS: We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a minimum follow-up period of 6weeks. The diagnosis was determined by fasting plasma glucose values after two-hour oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT). Two authors independently extracted data and evaluated bias...

Trigonelline (TRG) is a pyridine alkaloid found in fenugreek seeds and coffee beans. Most of the previous studies are concerning quantification of trigonelline along with other constituents in coffee herbs or beverages. Only a few are focused on its determination in animal or human tissues by applying different modes of HPLC with UV or MS detection. The aim of the study was to develop and validate fast and simple method for trigonelline determination in serum by use of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with ESI-MS/MS detection...

It is of paramount importance for consumers, scientists and industrialists to understand how low-temperature storage of food items affects their bioactive compounds and properties. This study evaluated the effects of cold storage on total phenolics (TP), phenolic acids profile (PA), total anthocyanins (TA), total ascorbic acid (Vit. C) and antioxidant activity (AA) of 19 fruits and vegetables, collected from local Indian markets and stored in refrigerator (4 °C) during 15 days. Content of TP was highest in dill and amaranth and decreased (up to 29...

Diabetes mellitus is a common effect of uncontrolled high blood sugar and it is associated with long-term damage, dysfunction, and failure of various organs. In the adult population, the global prevalence of diabetes has nearly doubled since 1980. Without effective prevention and management programs, the continuing significant rise in diabetes will have grave consequences on the health and lifespan of the world population, and also on the world economy. Supplements can be used to correct nutritional deficiencies or to maintain an adequate intake of certain nutrients...

A study was conducted in fluoride-affected Bankura and Purulia districts of West Bengal to assess the potential health risk from fluoride exposure among children, teenagers, and adults due to consumption of rice, pulses, and vegetables in addition to drinking water and incidental ingestion of soil by children. Higher mean fluoride contents (13-63 mg/kg dry weight) were observed in radish, carrot, onion bulb, brinjal, potato tuber, cauliflower, cabbage, coriander, and pigeon pea. The combined influence of rice, pulses, and vegetables to cumulative estimated daily intake (EDI) of fluoride for the studied population was found to be 9...

This study is intended to prevent ochratoxin A (OTA) production by Aspergillus carbonarius S402 using essential oils (EOs) and total phenolic compounds extracted from plants and herbs. The EOs used in this study are the following: bay leaves, cumin, fenugreek, melissa, mint, and sage. As for the phenolic compounds, they were extracted from bay leaves, cumin, fenugreek, melissa, mint, sage, anise, chamomile, fennel, rosemary, and thyme. The experiments were conducted on Synthetic Grape Medium (SGM) medium at 28 °C for 4 days...

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and the prevalence has increased significantly in recent decades to epidemic proportions in China. Individually, fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum) seed, mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaf and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) root can improve glycemia in various animal models and humans with impaired glucose metabolism and T2DM. The aim of this study was to design an optimized botanical formula containing these herbal extracts as a nutritional strategy for the prevention of insulin resistance and T2DM...

Saponins are glycosides, which destabilize the membrane by altering the membrane permeability. Thus, the present study was aimed to fabricate the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using fenugreek derived saponin (SN) against multi-drug resistant bacteria. This study has optimized the concentration of SN (240 mg/mL) for the synthesis of an effective AgNPs against the test organism Escherichia coli. The SN reduced AgNPs produced a reddish-brown colour and displayed UV absorption at 416 nm. The bio-reducing efficiency of SN (62...

Constipation appears in the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy, while nausea is the strongest in the 1st trimester. This review summarizes the applicability of herbal laxatives and antiemetics in pregnancy. A human study has shown that flax oil as laxative is safe from 2nd trimester. Human data is not available about the rhubarb, but animal studies reveal that its emodin content induces fetal abnormalities. Fenugreek induces teratogenic malformation both in human and animals. Senna seed is proved as a safe laxative in pregnancy...

BACKGROUND: Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seeds and onion (Allium cepa) are independently known to have antidiabetic effects through different mechanisms. The beeneficial influence of a combination of dietary fenugreek seeds and onion on hyperglycemia and its associated metabolic abnormalities were evaluated in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. METHODS: Diabetes was experimentally induced with streptozotocin and diabetic rats were fed with 10% fenugreek or 3% onion or their combination for 6 weeks...

This work examines the mechanisms involved in the attenuation of postprandial glycemic and insulinemic responses associated with soluble dietary fibre (SDF) consumption. The effect of SDF, including yellow mustard mucilage, soluble flaxseed gum and fenugreek gum on in vitro amylolysis and maltose transport was studied. Furthermore, a human clinical trial was conducted to investigate the effect of SDF consumption on postprandial glycemic and insulinemic responses and gastric emptying, as estimated based on the absorption of paracetamol...